We just returned from a great week aboard the Explorer of the Seas, traveling the Eastern Caribbean run from Miami to San Juan, St. Maarten, St. Thomas, and Nassau before returning. Stacy and I were celebrating our honeymoon, and we had a marvelous first week of married life together among the crew and passengers of the Explorer.
My last cruise was 20+ years ago aboard the RCI "Song of America", at the time one of its newest and largest ships: 750 passengers, 32,000 tons, 705 feet long. Of course, almost petite nowadays compared to the Explorer at 1100+ feet long, 3500 passengers, 142,000 tons! So I'll have some compare/contrast thoughts in here comparing cruising now to twenty years ago, along with the typical review information.
Some thoughts: